A long time love for cooking, avid research + a motivated mindset are qualities that entrepreneur, Whitney Frederic, put forth to start her company, It’s Seasoned, LLC.

Graduating from Susquehanna University in 2016, Whitney officially launched her company only two years later in November of 2018. With Haitian roots, she was actively learning her way around the kitchen at an early age. Therefore, when college came around, she was well equipped with the knowledge of how to remix her meals and eat healthily.

After receiving her Bachelor’s in Biology and doing extensive research about the rate of hypertension in the African American community, she focused on making her seasonings for that niche market and other people who want healthy seasoning options as well.

“My dream is that individuals will no longer have to compromise their health for the sake of a delicious meal, but instead can choose both.” she says.

Let’s get to know Whitney a little better…

Being a college student forces you to get creative with limited resources. What were your cooking skills like before college? How was your love for food initially sparked?

I grew up in a Haitian household where my family emphasized cooking as a fundamental skill; my mother and grandmother taught me how to cook. At the age of 9, I remember helping my mother prepare chicken, we cleaned it with vinegar and seasoned it with epis, (blend of fresh garlic, peppers, and herbs), and an array of different spices. My love for food was always present because of my upbringing, but I have to say my cooking skills developed more while in college because by my senior year I opted out of a meal plan to save money.

College students are often times working with a tight budget and have a prepaid meal plan. How did you balance eating delicious and healthy meals while on a college budget?

While on campus I worked 3 jobs, and to be completely honest, most of my money went towards food. On the bright-side, I always loved eating fruits, vegetables, rice, and oatmeal (all of which are very filling). I balanced eating delicious and healthy meals while on a college budget by eating things like oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, and for dinner, rice or pasta paired with a side of vegetables, and meat (mainly chicken, or fish). I went grocery shopping every other week, and kept my eyes on all the sales. When fresh fruits and vegetables were on sale at Walmart or Weis, I made sure to stock up on them. I stored them in the freezer in Ziploc bags until I was ready to use them; I used the fruits for smoothies, and vegetables for lunch and dinner.

What was your go-to college food hack? My go-to college food hack was not very healthy.

I remixed Velveeta shells and cheese with my own seasoning blends, (at the time my seasoning blends were combinations of preexisting seasonings that I placed in old sprinkle bottles) with a side of broccoli and tilapia; this meal was savory, and took very little time to make.

College students often times forget that “stress eating” can cause health problems as years go by, what motivated your mission behind It’s Seasoned in helping to prevent disease especially in the African American community? Why is it important for students to be mindful at an early age of what they put in their bodies?

I was motivated to start It’s Seasoned because it allow me to showcase 3 things that I love: experimenting/cooking and helping others. Having connections both past and present with individuals who suffer from hypertension, sparked my desire to want to help prevent disease in African American communities. I believe that in many instances, a preventive approach can help eliminate this disparity.

Even more specifically, I know individuals who suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure), some of which who were prescribed Valsartan. Last summer, the FDA recalled several batches of Valsartan, a drug used to help treat hypertension and heart failure, because traces of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), were found in it. NMDA is a known carcinogen.

After learning about this recall, I was compelled to do more research. I sought to better understand the causes of hypertension. Through research, I found that many people of color suffer from illnesses like hypertension and diabetes (type 2), and in many instances diet plays a major role. Statistics like “the prevalence of hypertension in African-Americans in the United States is among the highest in the world” and “more than 40 percent of non-Hispanic African-American men and women have high blood pressure makes it very clear that hypertension is a major concern. When you are not mindful of what you place in your body, you place yourself at risk. I started It’s Seasoned LLC. to help address this risk, by offering individuals an alternative. By way of It’s Seasoned LLC., individuals can retrieve the ingredients necessary to prepare meals without compromising their health or the flavor of their food.

Where do you see It’s Seasoned in 5 years?

I see It’s Seasoned LLC. becoming more impactful! It’s Seasoned LLC. currently serves customers in more than 15 different states; in five years I would like to see us serving individuals in all 50 states and internationally. My dream is that individuals will no longer have to compromise their health for the sake of a delicious meal, but instead can choose both. That being said, I see It’s Seasoned LLC. being outsourced, so that it is not only available on www.itsseasoned.com, but in farmer’s markets and at grocery stores like Whole Foods. In doing so, I will expand my team, master the world of advertising, and will have hosted multiple nutritional based workshops.